Top Loyalty Marketing Trends 2021

The comeback of Covid - 19 in India has strongly reminded marketers that the pandemic effect is here to stay, and the sooner they adjust to the shifting scenario, the better their chances of retaining their consumer base would be. While many brands have indeed immediately responded to the existing crisis, many others will still need to step up their game.

Here's a short rundown of which loyalty marketing trends will be the most popular in 2021:

 Omnichannel Campaigns have proved to be a winner and will continue doing so. Marketers are often found mistaken about omnichannel and multi-channels campaigns. Omnichannel and multichannel have distinct differences. In omnichannel, the information is integrated on all the channels, keeping the customer at the center.

In multichannel, the information is disintegrated and the flow starts with the company and moves outward to various channels. In multichannel since the information is not integrated, and each channel functions separately, the customers need to go to that specific channel to find the information that they want.

 This can cause them frustration and make them want to find a different brand that provides better integration. With so many people starting their shopping on one device and switching to another, integration of information and consistency across channels certainly helps to retain customers.

 “Omnichannel campaigns earned a 250% higher purchase and engagement rate than single channel campaigns, providing 90% higher customer retention.”

 Instant Gratification: According to Harvard Professor Gerald Zaltman, 95% of purchasing decisions are driven by emotions. Instant gratification fuels emotional loyalty. With daily discounts becoming more common, consumers are growing less patient with continuous, long-term loyalty programs and prefer quick, immediate incentives. As a result, more companies are launching campaigns with immediate rewards and incentives. Instant gratification could also be about redemption of rewards instantly. Brands must be aware that if they do not provide real-time rewards, their customers will receive them from someone else.

 Relevancy: Carefully examine whether your loyalty programs are still really relevant. Mostly because of relevancy, the next generation of customers are increasingly switching brands. Brands have begun to increase the relevancy of their loyalty programs. Offers and incentives should feel appropriate. If the benefits are truly meaningful, brands have seen an increase in consumer sign-ups.

 Go Local: Customers have been preferring brands who have some kind of association with local and small businesses. Customers are choosing to help the community in this way during these troubled times. Brands can go local by collaborating with small local businesses on various initiatives, bundling relevant offerings, awarding with vouchers, or using local vendors. In such initiatives, communication is crucial; buzzwords like hand-picked, hand-made, local, old, green, organic, and natural are increasingly deemed finer to factory-made products.

 Brands fighting Covid: Some of us have adopted the unique circumstances and the safety standards of washing hands and social distancing in these unusual times. Every other day, however still, we see stories on social media about people who continue to disregard these basic precautionary measures, emphasizing the need of strengthening these. Many brands have recognized this and have jumped on board to encourage and help to reinforce safety regulations by promoting safety messages. This in turn has increased their loyal customer base.

Consumers are choosing these brands over others while making a purchase.

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